Territory



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. KIRLIN.

AUTOMATIO BRAKE FOR. WAGONS.

No. 372,682. Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. KIRLIN.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR WAGONS.

No. 872,682. Patented Nov. 8, 1887;

4 42 1 v WWW N4 PETERS. Phow-Limn n mr, Washington, D. c,

ilnirnn STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

OTIS KIRLIN, OF \VEBSTER, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

AuToMATio BRAKE FOR WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,682, dated November 8,1887.

Application filed January 12, 1887. Serial No. 224,295.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTIS KIRLTN, of Webster, in the county of Day and Territory of Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic XVagon-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic wagon-brakes.

The object is to provide a simple and inexpensive system of mechanism for attachment to any wagon, which operates to automatically force the brakes into frictional contact with the wheels by the back-hold of the horses in descending a hill, and yet prevents the brakes from engagement with the wheels when the wagon is being backed.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of the wagon running-gear, showing the normal position ofthe brakeoperating mechanism. Fig. 2 is asimilar View of the front portion of the running-gear, showingtheposit-ion oftheparts whenthe brake is applied, the dotted lines showing the position of the rocking shaft when engaged by the teeth of the hub-collar. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the hub-collar, and Fig. 4. is a detached view of the whiffletreebolt.

A represents a wagon running-gear, to the underside of which myimproved brake mechanism is attached. A brake-operating rod, B, extending lengthwise of the tongue or pole O, is loosely connected to the under side of the latter by the eyes a, allowing the free longitudinal movement of the rod, and a portion of the rod 13 is divided or has the slot a near the forward end straddling the ncck-yoke pin or stop 6, and terminates in the hooks 0 (Z, between which the ring of the neck-yoke is confined.

Beneath the rear end of the tongue 0 a bracket, D, is rigidly secured. This bracket is preferably constructed with a pair of depending parallel skeleton platcs, d al and it may be secured to the tongue by means of clips (No model.)

e or simply by bolts or screws. Between the plates d d a lever, E, is pivoted, the upper end of the latter being bifurcated to receive the rear end of rod B,which is pivoted therein. The lower end, 6, of the lever E is similarly formed to receive the forward end of the draftrod F, which is pivoted thereto, while a groove, f, furnishes a convenient recess in which the draft-rod F lies when the brakes are applied.

The draft-rod F extends from the lever E to the rear axle, whereon a plate, G, bifurcated at the forward end and having a pair ofjaws, g, is secured by clips G or similar means. A lever, H, is pivoted at its middle between these jaws g, and to the upper arm, h, of the lever the rear end of draft-rod F is loosely connected, while to the lower or opposite arm a rod or link, I, is pivotally secured. I

Apair of arms, J, located on the reach a little in front of the rear wheels, project laterally from the reach. These arms J are grooved on the upper face to admit of the bar K, having the downwardly bent ends 7:, rocking thereon. To these ends it the transverse bar L, carrying the brake-blocks Z, is loosely hung, and the forward end of the link I is loosely secured to the bar L at its middle. This manner of connecting the bar L to the reach is not essential, and, plainly, might be slightly varied.

From the description thus far disclosed it will be readily seen that immediately on the neck-yoke being held back by the horses, either in descepding a hill or in backing the wagon, the operating-rod B is forced back, reversing the lever E from its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, thus carrying forward with its lower end the draft-rod F, which in turn reverses the lever H, its lower end pulling back the link I, and with it the bar L, carrying the brake-blocks Z in contact with the rear wheels; but a mechanism yet to be described limits the backward movement of the brake-blocks to the holding back of the wagon while the latter is moving forward down an incline. The brake is instantaneously released from the wheels upon the draft being applied to the whiffletrees,owing to the eccentric formation of the whifiletreebolt shown in Fig. i. The formation of this bolt is similar to a small crank-shaft, consisting of the shaft m, terminating at its lower end in the crank 42 and at the upper end in a crank, 0. On this upper crank, 0, the whiffletree is mounted, the portion between the tongue and whiffletree being conveniently flattened, and the hasp O is secured over the end ,in the ordinary manner or by apin extending transversely through it,and from the lower crank, it, arm M extends forward,an,d is connected to the rod B by an adjusting nut and sleeve, N, the object of the latter being tofurnish an exact adjustment to therod B, so that the cranks n 0, being transverse .of the tongue while the brakes are on, are turned forward when draft is applied, giving a forward movement to the rod 13 through arm M.

Rearward of lever E, and pivoted between plates (1 d of the bracket D in the slots j, is the dog P. This dog P is preferably wedgeshaped, and its smaller end, 10, extendsforward of its pivotal point,and is adapted to register with the shoulder i, formed in the rear of lever E. 4

A rocking shaft, Q, is loosely mounted in straps or suitable devices, g, on the front axle and extends toward one of the forward wheels,

where it terminates in a short arm, 1, which is normally held upward close to the axle by the spiral spring 1", as shown in Fig. 3. The inner end also terminates in an arm, 8, which normally extends forward and slightly downward. The arm 8 is loosely connected with the upper rear end of the dog P by a connecting-rod, to, through which the shaftQ is rocked when the dog P is forced back to its full extent in the slots j. Now it will be seen that in descending a hill the back-pressure of the neck-yoke on the brake operating rod 13 forces thelatter backward, giving thelever E a backward rock, which in turn forces the dog P backward in the slots j by reason of the forward pointed end of dog P registering with the shoulder 43 of the lever E, thus forcing the arm 8 slightly downward and the arm 7* on the opposite end of the shaft Q outward in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to be engaged by the teeth 1. of hub-collar T, which, owing to the forward turn of the wheels, rocks the shaft still farther in the direction in which it has started, throwing the arm .9 still farther downward, and carrying with it the rod 00, which latter tilts the forward end of dog P upward out of engagement with shoulder 5, allowing the free backward rock of lever E, which operates the brake indirectly,as described. When the draft is applied to the whiffletree again, the rod 13 is drawn forward, as before described, regulating the position of lever E to receive the dogP behind the shoulder i,where the latter drops, the spiral spring 1" having turned the shaft Q in adjustment to drop this dog P.

When the wagon is backed, it will be seen that the effect on the dog P is exactly opposite, the teeth 15 on the collar T tending to turn the arm 8 upward, thus holding the dog P firmly in engagement with the shoulder i.

The collar T is preferably made in sections hinged together at u and provided with adjusting'screw a, so as to admit of its being adjusted to the hub with slight difliculty.

It should have been mentioned that the draft-rod F may be in the form of an exten sion-rod, to allow of its being shortened or lengthened when the length of the reach is varied.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction herein set forth, but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the running-gear and tongue, of the rod and lever mechanism for operating the brake-blocks, and the crankshaped whiffletree bolt for releasing the brakes, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the running-gear and to ngue,and draft andoperating rods loosely secured thereto, the operating-rod being provided with an adjustable arm, of a crankshaped whiffletree-bolt pivoted to the adjustable arm and adapted to moveit forward with the draft on thewhiffletree-bolt, substantially as set forth. v

3. The combination, with the tongue and whiffletree and brake-operating rod secured to the tongue, of the whiffletree-bolt, substantially crank-shaped at either end, loosely con nected to the operating-rod, for the purpose substantially asset forth.

4. The combination, with the bracket and lever pivoted therein, and the operating and draft rods pivoted one to each end of this lever, of a lever secured on the rear axle for converting the forward movement of the draft-rod to the backward movement of the brake-blocks, and the crank-shaped whiffletree-bolt adapted to release the brake when draft is applied thereto, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a wheel-hub and a toothed hub collar secured thereto, of a brake-locking mechanism adapted to be unlocked by the engagement of the hub-collar teeth with that mechanism, substantially as to this dog, and a toothed hub-collar for op- In testimony whereof I have signed this crating this dog, substantially as set forth. specification in the presence of two subscrib- 1o 9. The combination, with the bracket, the ing witnesses.

shouldered lever pivoted therein, and rod for T operating said lever, of a dog loosely pivoted OTIS KIRLIL in this bracket, and suitable mechanism for \Vitnesses:

regulating the adjustmentof the dog, substan- HARRY H. WA LKINTON,

tially as set forth.

L. GRoss. 

